96 points James Suckling: "Fabulous aromas of minerals, pear pie, nuts with bread dough and apple character. Full-bodied, lively and wonderful with bright fruit and a clean finish. Very layered and juicy. This was a very hot year for Champagne and a year for pinot noir. But this is so fresh and complex. 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. 10% of the pinot is fermented in barrel. Drink now." (9/2014)95 points Wine Spectator: "Very elegant, ethereal in texture and well-knit, offering flavors of poached pear, black licorice, lemon pâte de fruit, pastry and ground ginger. Shows fine balance and integration, with ...Read More »

95 points Wine Enthusiast: "Fermented in wood, this mature and rich Champagne is sophisticated and stylish. It has a rich, full-bodied character with hints of spice as well as dry, citrus fruits. It has a steely core, showing a taut texture as well as some maturity. Ready to drink, it will also age in bottle." (12/2013)94 points James Suckling: "Beautiful aromas of light butter, dough, cooked apples and apple purée. Full-bodied and very rich with plenty of fruit, intense nut, and light toasted oak. Very structured. This is decanted in cuve and then racked into bottles and fermented in old oak barrels for eigh...Read More »

91 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "(50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay; disgorged April, 2013): Bright yellow. Pungent redcurrant, pear skin and anise aromas, along with notes of smoky minerals and chamomile. Sappy poached pear and buttered toast flavors are braced by zesty blood orange and ginger, picking up a honeysuckle nuance with air. Shows impressive clarity and punch on the finish, which features dusty mineral and cherry pit qualities." (11/2013)K&L Notes:
I find 2004 to be the most collectable of all vintages in current release because it represents a rare event- an old fashioned classic v...
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94 points Wine Enthusiast: "This vintage of Drappier’s top cuvée is showing signs of delicious maturity. With tropical fruits morphing into toast and ripe almonds, it’s a wine on the cusp of greatness. For now, there is still plenty of freshness there, tight acidity and the ripe character that’s typical of Champagnes from the Aube." (12/2014)93 points Wine Spectator: "A thread of ground spice and graphite weaves through the notes of peach, white cherry, biscuit and spun honey in this elegant version. Fresh and harmonious, with beautiful texture to the mousse, carrying the flavors to the long finish." (12/2014)...Read More »

94 points Wine & Spirits: "A discreet 2004, this combines the structural power of pinot noir from the Montagne de Reims (60 percent of the blend) with the elegance of chardonnay grown in the Côte des Blancs. Completely knit into the wine’s toned musculature, those elements create a sensation of balletic power and grace. The flavors, a pale essence of floral cream, tangy lemon and spice, show themselves with clarity and purity, lovely to drink now and balanced for the long haul." (12/2014)94 points Wine Enthusiast: "The rich Pol Roger style is contrasted here with the natural crisp minerality of a Blanc de Bla...Read More »

Jancis Robinson: "Very firm and rather unyielding initially on the nose. Textured on the palate and pretty austere initially. This is not a champagne to drink thoughtlessly as an aperitif or at a reception. This is a serious statement that demands food. The mousse is notably gentle and the whole is impressively persistent. Very dry indeed though not aggressively tart by any means. Then it seems much more substantial after a mouthful of smoked salmon on blini. And after some jamon iberico it was a revelation." (9/2014) Wine Spectator: "It’s graceful and ethereal in style, with beautiful ...Read More »

This fantastic Champagne comes from the villages of Pierry and Moussy. Bruno Michel has been organic since 1999 and five of his 37.5 acres are farmed biodynamically. This Champagne is composed of 53% Meunier and 47% Chardonnay, 70% from the 2006 harvest, 14% from the 2005 harvest and 16% from 2004. and is one of the most balanced Champagnes in our stock, with an effortless quality that is almost impossible to describe or resist. It has great toast and spiced apple aromas and flavors and a crisp dry finish. It spent six years on the lees before it was dos...
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93 points Wine Enthusiast: "This serious, ripe offering is packed with red berry and stone fruit flavors. It also has complex touches of toast and acidity, producing a sense of dryness. This is finely balanced and is now ready to drink, but it will also likely age for a few more years" (12/2012)93 points Wine Spectator: "A firm, focused version, this is driven by smoke-tinged minerality and racy acidity, while flavors of strawberry pâte de fruit, candied orange zest, apricot tart and ground ginger and clove mesh with the sleek structure. Drink now through 2026." (12/2013)92 points Antonio Galloni: "Much more typical of the year, 2004 Bru...Read More »

91 points Allen Meadows - Burghound: "This is, not surprisingly, actually quite similar to the Pure but with just a bit more complexity and a hair more toastiness. This is also intensely effervescent with a mouth feel that is exceptionally vibrant before culminating in clean, cool, persistent and impressively refreshing finish. This is a pleasure to drink and it could be enjoyed now or held for additional development though I like the energy if offers now. A fine value." (9/2012)90 points Antonio Galloni: "Pale yellow. Toasty melon and white peach on the nose, with orange zest and dusty minerals emerging with air. Livel...Read More »

This bottling is named after Garance Thienot, who handles the communications and marketing for the family firm.They have chosen to call this Champagne "Blanc de Rouges" instead of "Blanc de Noirs" because of the effort that they put into keeping the wine feminine. This is 100% Pinot Noir and a large proportion of the fruit comes from the grand cru Ay that the family purchased from Krug as well as from Garance's own personal vines in the village of Tauxieres, on the border with Bouzy. This is one of the most intriguing, delicate examples of pure Pinot Cha...
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92 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Bright orange-pink. Smoke- and mineral-tinged aromas of raspberry, poached pear, rose oil and sweet butter. Toasty and broad but spry, offering vibrant red fruit and blood orange flavors that pick up a refreshingly bitter edge with aeration. Closes on a spicy note, with excellent focus and slow-building minerality. The fruit for this Champagne is sourced from up to 20 different premier and grand cru villages, including Ay and Verzenay for the pinot noir and Mesnil-sur-Oger for the chardonnay." (12/2013)92 points Wine & Spirits: "Deep pink in color, this is a cherry-scented rosé...Read More »

90 points Wine Spectator: "An aromatic version, with smoke, candied plum, marzipan and pastry dough notes, offering a soft and creamy mousse and flavors of baked apple, honey, roasted walnut and lemon curd. Drink now through 2017. 583 cases made." (8/2014)K&L Notes: The Chateau de Bligny is a big property, one of the largest growers in all of Champagne at 75 acres. This bottling is from one of the few Clos Champenois, a walled vineyard of just 2 acres which they bottle separately.- Gary Westby, K&L

Alexandre Le Brun is a young winemaker in Monthelon in the Ardenne (Marne) region of Champagne. He is a ninth generation winemaker. His family established themselves in Champagne in 1750, and their cellars were built in 1822. The Revelation is indeed that. A revelation! It is 100% Meunier with a low four grams per liter dosage. Based upon the 2009 vintage, with five years on the lees. It has a nice clean character with bright yellow and red fruits. (Scott Beckerley, K&L San Francisco)

Jancis Robinson: "Disgorged 2014. The nose is surprisingly reminiscent of the Bollinger 2005 tasted immediately before. Solid and complex with a wild floral note. Bone dry and with a bit more focus and lift than the Bollinger." (3/2015)